The modern city of Paphos lies on theMediterranean coast, about 50 km (30 mi) west of Limassol, the island's largest port; the two cities are connected by theA6 highway.Paphos International Airport is the country's second-largest airport, and serves as a gateway to western and southern Cyprus. The city has asubtropical-Mediterranean climate, and experiences the mildest temperatures on the island.
Paphos is the most seismically active region in Cyprus, according to historical data which shows evidence of several strongearthquakes, some of which caused severe damage, loss of life, andtsunamis. The strongest earthquakes to strike Paphos occurred in 76 AD,[10]1222 (7.0–7.5),[11]1953 (6.5 Ms ),[12] 1995 (5.9 Mw ),[13] 1996 (6.8 Mw )[14] and2022 (6.6 Mw ).[15]
TheBibliotheke contains a genealogy.[17] Pygmalion was so devoted to the cult of Aphrodite that he took the statue to his palace and kept it on his couch. Thedaimon of the goddess entered the statue, and the living Galatea bore Pygmalion a son, Paphos, and a daughter,Metharme.Cinyras –either the son of Paphos[18] or the suitor of Metharme– founded the city under Aphrodite's patronage and built the great temple to the goddess there. According to another legend preserved byStrabo (xi. p. 505), it was founded byAgapenor, a hero of theTrojan War.[19] According toPausanias, a storm drove Agapenor and theArcadian fleet to Cyprus, where he founded Paphos and established the sanctuary of Aphrodite at Palaepaphos.[20]
Old Paphos (Palaepaphos), now known as Kouklia, is on a hill[21] to the east of the modern city. It had a road which spanned a few miles to the sea. It was not far from the Zephyrium promontory[22] and the mouth of the Bocarus stream.[23]
Archaeology shows that Old Paphos has been inhabited since theNeolithic period. It was a centre forAphrodite's cult. Aphrodite's mythical birthplace was on the island. Thefounding myth is interwoven with the goddess such that Old Paphos became the most important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient world.[24]
The Greek names of two ancient kings,Etevandros andAkestor, are attested inCypriot syllabary on objects from the 7th century BC found in Kourion.[25]
The Greeks agreed that Aphrodite had landed at the site of Paphos whenshe rose from the sea.[26] According toPausanias (i. 14), although her worship was introduced to Paphos fromSyria, it was more likely that it was ofPhoenician origin. Before being proven by archaeology it was thought that Aphrodite's cult had been established before the time ofHomer (c. 700 BC), as the grove and altar of Aphrodite at Paphos are mentioned in theOdyssey (viii. 362).[19] Archaeology established that Cypriots venerated a fertility goddess in a cult that combined Aegean and eastern mainland aspects before the arrival of the mainland Greeks. Female figurines and charms found in the immediate vicinity date back to the early third millennium. Thetemenos was well established before the first structures were erected in theLate Bronze Age:
There was unbroken continuity of cult from that time until 391 AD when the Roman Emperor Theodosius Ioutlawed all pagan religions and the sanctuary fell into the ruins in which we find it today.
Old Paphos was the centre of worship for Aphrodite in the Aegean world. The Cinyradae, or descendants of Cinyras, were the chief priests; Greek by name but of Phoenician origin. Their power and authority were great, but it has been inferred from certain inscriptions that they were controlled by a senate and an assembly of the people. There was also anoracle there.[28] The ruins of Aphrodite's vast sanctuary are still discernible, its circumference marked by huge foundation walls. After its destruction by an earthquake it was rebuilt byVespasian, on whose coins it is represented, as well as on earlier and later ones, and in the style on those ofSeptimius Severus.[29] From these representations and existing ruins,Gustav Friedrich Hetsch, an architect ofCopenhagen, attempted to restore the building.[19][30][31]
Mosaic from the House ofDionysos, god of wine, 3rd c. AD
New Paphos (Nea Paphos) was founded on the sea near a natural harbour. It lay about 60 stadia or 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest of the old city.[32] It also had a founding myth; it was said to have been founded byAgapenor, chief of theArcadians at the siege ofTroy,[33] who, after the capture of the city, was driven out by the storm that separated the Greek fleet onto the coast of Cyprus. (Pausanias viii. 5. § 2.) An Agapenor was mentioned as king of the Paphians in a Greek distich preserved in theAnalecta;[34] andHerodotus (vii. 90) alludes to an Arcadian colony in Cyprus.[19]
In reality, it was probably founded byNicocles (d. 306 BC), the last king of Palaepaphos, based on an inscription recording his founding of the temple of Artemis Agrotera at New Paphos. The inhabitants ofMarion were probably also transferred to this new city after it was destroyed byPtolemy in 312 BC.[35] A hoard of unused silver coins (in theCyprus Museum) found under the Hellenistic House dating back to the end of the 4th century BC are the earliest find at the site and indicates its date of founding.
Old Paphos always retained the pre-eminence in worship of Aphrodite, and Strabo states that the road leading to it from New Paphos was annually crowded with male and female votaries travelling to the ancient shrine, and coming from New Paphos and other towns on Cyprus. WhenSeneca said (N. Q. vi. 26, Epistle 91) that Paphos was nearly destroyed by an earthquake, it is difficult to say to which of the towns he refers.Cassius Dio (liv. 23) relates that it was restored byAugustus, and called "Augusta" in his honor; though this name has been preserved in inscriptions, it never supplanted the ancient one in popular use.[19]
An inscription from the 80s BC speaks of a certain Onesander of Paphos being appointed to theGreat Library of Alexandria.[36]
St Paul's Pillar in Paphos
According to the biblicalActs of the Apostles, after landing atSalamis and proclaiming theWord of God in the synagogues,[37] the prophets and teachers,Barnabas andSaul of Tarsus, traveled along the entire southern coast of Cyprus until they reached Paphos.[38] There,Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, was converted after Saul rebuked the sorcererElymas.[39] In Paphos, Acts first identifies Saul as Paul.[40]
Tacitus (Hist. ii. 2, 3) records a visit of the youthfulTitus to Paphos before he acceded to the empire, who inquired with much curiosity into its history and antiquities. (Cf.SuetoniusTitus c. 5.) Under this name, the historian included the ancient as well as the more modern city, and among other traits of the worship of the temple he records that the only image of the goddess was a pyramidal stone.[19]
Paphos Archaeological Park covers most of the ancient city and is aUNESCO World Heritage site for its ancient ruins.
The most significant remains discovered are four large and elaborate Roman villas; the House of Dionysos, the House of Orpheus, the House of Aion and the House of Theseus, all with preserved mosaic floors. In addition, excavations have uncovered anagora,Asklepion, theBasilica of Panagia Limeniotissa, a theatre, and anecropolis known as theTombs of the Kings.
Paphos gradually lost much of its attraction as an administrative centre, particularly after the founding ofNicosia. The city and its port continued to decline throughout theMiddle Ages andOttoman rule, as Nicosia, and the port city ofLarnaca became more important.
The city and district continued to lose population throughout the British colonial period and many of its inhabitants moved to Limassol, Nicosia and overseas. The city and district of Paphos remained the most underdeveloped part of the island until 1974.
Kato Paphos, Apostolou Pavlou Ave that leading to the Paphos Coastline, on the right — the bus station
Following theTurkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, there was rapid economic activity in all fields, especially tourism in the Kato Paphos area. The government invested heavily in irrigation dams and water distribution works, road infrastructure and the building of Paphos International Airport, the second international airport in Cyprus.
In the 1980s, Kato Paphos received most of the investment. In the 1990s, Coral Bay Resort was further developed and in the 2000s, the Aphrodite Hills resort was developed.
Today Paphos, with a population of about 35,961 (as of 2018[update]), is a popular tourist resort and is home to a fishing harbour. Ktima is the main residential district while Kato Paphos, by the sea, is built around the medieval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure of the city.Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (St. Paul's Avenue), the busiest road in Paphos, connects two quarters of the city. It begins near the city centre at Kennedy Square and ends outside the medieval fort at the harbour.
The economy of Paphos is heavily dependent on tourism. There are four resorts in the district: Kato Paphos,Coral Bay,Latchi, andAphrodite Hills. Kato Paphos, the largest, employs over half of Paphos's population. Farming, especially banana, grape and tobacco cultivation, contributes significantly to Paphos's economy.
Paphos pedestrian boulevardTheSaracen Rock (foreground) and theRock of the Greek (background)Paphos LighthouseAgios Neophytos MonasteryM/V EDRO III resting off the rocks near the Sea Caves northwest of Paphos
Paphos Castle stands by the harbor, and was originally a Byzantine fort built to protect the harbour. It was rebuilt by theLusignans in the 13th century before being dismantled in 1570 by theVenetians, who were unable to defend it against theOttomans who restored and strengthened it after capturing the island.Saranta Kolones, near the harbor, is a castle built in the first years of Lusignan rule (beginning of the 12th century) maybe on the site of a previous Byzantine castle. It was destroyed in theearthquake of 1222.
Among the treasures unearthed near Paphos are the mosaics in the Houses of Dionysos, Theseus and Aion, preserved after 16 centuries underground; vaults and caves; theTombs of the Kings; and the pillar to which Saint Paul was said to have been tied and whipped and the ancient Odeon Theatre. Other places of interest include the Byzantine Museum and the District Archaeological Museum, with its collection of Cypriot antiquities from the Paphos area dating back from theNeolithic Age up to 1700 AD. Near the Odeon are the ruins of the ancient city walls, the Romanagora, and a building dedicated toAsclepius.
The mosaic floors of these elite villas dating from the 3rd to the 5th century are among the finest in theEastern Mediterranean. They mainly depict scenes fromGreek mythology.
The city contains manycatacomb sites dating back to theearly Christian period. The most famous is Saint Solomoni Church, originally a Christian catacomb retaining some of its 12th centuryfrescoes. A sacred tree at the entrance is believed to cure the ailments of those who hang a personal offering on its branches.
A few kilometres outside the is the rockPetra tou Romiou, which sits in the sea. According to legend, Aphrodite rose from the waves at this spot. The name is associated with the legendary frontier-guard of Byzantine times,Digenis Acritas, who kept the maraudingSaracens at bay. It is said that to repel one attack he heaved a large rock at his enemy.
The site recently had the Aphrodite Hills resort built on it. The resort features a five-star intercontinental resort hotel, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, fitness facilities, holiday villas, apartments, townhouses and the Retreat Spa.[41]
Near Petra tou Romiou is Palaepaphos, Old Paphos, one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimage in the ancient Greek world, and once an ancient city-kingdom of Cyprus. The ruins of theSanctuary of Aphrodite Paphia stand here, dating back as early as 12th century BC. The temple was one of the most important places of Aphrodite's cult and pilgrimage of the ancient world until the 3rd–4th centuries AD. The museum, housed in the Lusignan Manor, houses artifacts from the area.
North-east of Paphos liesAgios Neophytos Monastery, known for its "encleistra" (enclosure) carved out of the mountain by the hermit himself, which features some Byzantine frescoes from the 12th and 15th centuries. The painted village church of Emba (Empa) is nearby.
Four kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Paphos is the village of Lemba (Lempa), home to numerous artists, many of whom have open studio shops. It is home to the sculpture known as the Great Wall of Lempa by the Cypriot artistStass Paraskos and theCyprus College of Art.
Off the coast of Paphos is the wreck ofM/VDemetrios II which ran aground on 23 March 1998 in heavy seas during a voyage from Greece to Syria with a cargo of timber.
Similarly, on 8 December 2011, theEDRO III ran aground off the coast of Cyprus. It is located near the Sea Caves of Paphos on the western shore of the island close to the Akamas Peninsula. Local authorities are hesitant to remove the ship from the rocks due to the fact that the coastline is a protected natural park where turtles nest and endemic plant and animal species thrive.
Aphrodite's Rock (Petra tou Romiou) on the coast of Paphos.
"Tzielefos" Venetian bridge, Diarizos river, Paphos forestMavrokolympos Dam
Paphos has a hotsemi-arid climate (Köppen:BSh), closely bordering a hot-summerMediterranean climate (Köppen:Csa),[citation needed] with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The greatest amounts of rain occur from November to mid-March, while it almost never rains in the summer, with an average of less than 0.3 millimetres or 0.012 inches in July and August. In these rainless months, however, humidity measurements can go up to 85 percent.
Snowfall occurs rarely – approximately every 10 years – and does not normally lead to any significant disruption. It occurs almost annually in the hills ofTsada, 6 km (4 miles) north. The last significant snowfall in the city centre occurred in the winter of 2001.[citation needed]
Frost is also very rare.
Heatwaves in July and August are relatively common, when hot air masses from theSahara desert drift over to Cyprus causing temperatures to rise. Cyprus has experienced drought-like conditions and the current trend of global warming may increase the severity of these conditions.[42] In the summer of 2008, Cyprus had to ship water by tanker from Greece to meet demand on the island.[43] Since then, water conditions have eased due to good winter rains.
Paphos was once the only traffic-free town in Cyprus; things changed after the urbanization and rise of the population in less than ten years. The roads in the town centre remain unchanged and are unable to accommodate the new level of traffic. The problems exist because some planned road links remain on paper, including:
For intercity transportation the main operator is Intercity Buses which offers daily connections across all cities in the southern part of Cyprus.[46]
The main bus station is Karavella station. It is the nexus for all intercity routes and many of the local routes.[47] The other major bus station in Paphos is the Kato Paphos Harbor station, located close to Paphos Harbor and the Paphos Archaeological Park.[48]
Paphos did not have a motorway link until 2001. It is now accessed through theA6 which connects Paphos withLimassol. The A7 motorway from Paphos to Polis was to have been completed by 2013, though work has not started yet due to the financial crisis in Cyprus. The works are undergoing as of August 2023.
Since 1982, air traffic of Paphos is served by Paphos International Airport located 10 km (6 mi) southeast of the city, near Timi. It serves approximately 1.75 million people every year. A new terminal opened in late 2008 adjacent to the old one.
The port is able to hold 300 boats and serves as a smallmarina and a fisherman shelter. The castle's square hosts Aphrodite's festival every September since 1998.[49] Several other yearly events are hosted in the square, including the Paphos beer festival.[50] Cargo and cruise ships use theLimassol Port 60 km (37 mi) away. A marina is planned to be constructed 10 km (6 mi) north, next toCoral Bay inKissonerga. The new marina will serve up to 1,000 boats.[51]
Paphos has only one general hospital located at Anavargos, 3 km (2 mi) northeast of the city centre. It was built to replace the old hospital, which was demolished shortly after being abandoned; now, it is a modern medical centre. There was consideration that it might be turned into a university hospital whenNeapolis University was opened; as of July 2017, this has not transpired.[citation needed]
The Paphos municipality has 38 primarystate schools, 8 secondary state schools (known asgymnasiums andlyceums), 3 privately run English schools and one privately run Russian school. First elementary school in Paphos was founded in 1796, in villageKritou Terra.
The town of Paphos has several higher education institutes. The first one,Neapolis University began accepting students in June 2010. The university offers a wide range ofundergraduate andpostgraduate programmes and consists of 4 schools. Recently theAmerican University of Beirut and the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK), were built.
Paphos is known for its cultural and historical interests, including theTombs of the Kings, Mosaics, castle and numerous churches, though it is also popular for its festivals and annual events.
During September, Paphos holds an annual opera at the Paphos' Aphrodite Festival at the harbor. The castle serves as a backdrop and stage for the performance. Another annual event is Open Studios Cyprus which takes place during selected weekends in October. Selected artists open their studio doors to the general public and provide an informal environment to view and discuss the work with the artist.
There are a number of privately owned galleries and exhibition spaces. Details and dates for the regular events can be found in the local English newspapers, such asCyprus Weekly and Cyprus Monthly. Palia Ilektriki is an exhibition and conference space maintained by the Paphos Municipality. In the centre of the town, this converted[clarification needed] plays host to both conferences and exhibitions throughout the year. In 2009, 2010, and 2011, Open Studios Cyprus used this location to launch the event with an Opening Art Exhibition.
In 2012, Paphos won the title as European Capital of Culture 2017, under the Executive Direction of Ektor Tsatsoulis and the Artistic Director Spyros Pisinos.[citation needed] In 2013,Marios Joannou Elia became the artistic director of "Pafos 2017". Following the financial crisis on the island in 2013, Elia redesigned and recalculated the entire programme.[55]
Paphos held the title of the European Capital of Culture for 2017 alongsideAarhus, Denmark. In the years before 2017 many improvements were made around the city. During the year, multiple cultural events, such as the Europakonzert 2017 featuring the Berliner Philarmoniker and the Yamato Taiko Drum Ensemble performance, took place across Paphos each month. The program had a huge diverse group of volunteers that contributed greatly on the events.
Paphos has a long history in sports with several football, basketball, volleyball teams, includingPafos FC. The Pafian gymnastic club is called Korivos, and it owns (via theCyprus Athletic Organisation) the localAphroditi Sports hall and theStelios Kyriakides Stadium, named afterStylianos Kyriakides (Greek:Στυλιανός Κυριακίδης; 1910–1987), a marathon runner from the nearby village Statos, who won the 1946Boston Marathon. According to a newspaper report, he was running with John Kelley near the end, when an old man shouted from the crowd, "For Greece, for your children!", inspiring him to pull away and win the race.[citation needed]
^Old Paphos, in Ancient Greek:Πάφος παλαιά,Ptol. v. 14. § 1; or, in one word,Παλαίπαφος,Strabo xiv. p. 683; Palaepafos,Plin. v. 31. s. 35)
^New Paphos in Ancient Greek (Πάφος Νέα, Ptol.l. c.; Nea Pafos, Plin.l. c.. The name of Paphos, without any adjunct, is used by poets and writers of prose to denote both Old and New Paphos, but with this distinction, to ancient prose writers it commonly means New Paphos, whilst for the ancient poets it generally signifies Old Paphos, the seat of thecult of theGreek goddessAphrodite. In inscriptions, also, both towns are calledΠάφος. This indiscriminate use sometimes produces ambiguity, especially in the Latin prose authors.
^According to the RomanHyginus,Fabula 142, Cinyras was a son of Paphus, thus legitimate in the patrilineal manner, butBibliotheke makes Cinyras an interloper, arriving with some of his people fromCilicia on the nearest coast of Asia Minor, and thus a suitor from outside, in the matrilineal manner. The conflict is instructive.
^Hatzimichali, M. (2013). König, J.; Oikonomopoulou, A.; Oikonomopoulou, K.; Woolf, G. (eds.).Ancient Libraries. Cambridge University Press. p. 173.ISBN978-1-107-01256-1.
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